Christmas Mischief
by Increasing Paranoia
Summary: Roxas just wanted his car fixed so he could go home for Christmas. That, and he really wanted to punch out the smart-ass mechanic working on his car.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I am SO SORRY I haven't posted anything in so long. I decided to take a trip down the stairs and wound up busting my elbow (only bruised! yay!) so it put a kink on writing and... well... Anyway, I promise to get around to some updates on my other stories, but in the meantime, here's the first chapter of a new one. This is dedicated to my bestest buddy - crazyhorsechick - as a gift for getting all A's on her finals.

* * *

Today, Roxas decided, was not his day. He had decided that driving home for the holidays would be cheaper than flying but now Old Faithful had gone and broken down on him. Being a broke-ass college student, the blond did NOT have the funds necessary to call a tow truck, so he heaved a sigh and hauled himself out of the warm car. Looked like he'd be pushing it.

* * *

Today, Axel thought, was not his day. The approaching holiday was bringing all sorts of out-of-towners to his sleepy little town - a lot of them spoiled little rich boys who never worked a day in their lives. Axel didn't care if they were staying or passing through. All he wanted was for them to get the hell out of his garage. The self-importance and demands for instant gratification (what do you mean it's going to take a few hours?!) were beginning to smother.

He was in the middle of ringing up a bill for an oil change - and trying very hard _not_ to wring the neck of the twat in front of him when his day took a decided turn. The bell above the door rang and Axel's eyes fixed on a flushed blond with unruly hair who was breathing heavily. Axel turned his attention back to the customer in front of him who was arguing about the bill. He'd deal with one prep at a time.

"Yes, the bill is correct," he interrupted. "Just because I talk slowly doesn't mean I'm stupid." Preppy scowled at him but swiped his card and signed the receipt before stomping out of the store. The red-head rolled his eyes before turning to the blond. "What's the make, model, year and issue?" he asked, grabbing a new client sheet.

"It's a Toyota, 1994. I don't know anything else…" he trailed off and Axel raised his head to peer at his new client. The kid was definitely from a nearby college but not half as preppy as the spoiled brats Axel had been dealing with.

Axel has a number of snide, derogatory things he could say right now. He settles on, "You look like you ran a marathon."

"I pushed my car. It broke down and I can't afford to spend money on a tow."

"Well, we're kind of booked up because of the holiday traffic. Earliest I'd be able to get to it is tomorrow." Axel watched as the blond heaved a sigh.

"Is there a hotel where I can get a room?"

"Toyota yours?" Both men turned as Axel's boss came to the front.

"This is Cid, the owner. Cid, this is Toyota 1994." Axel introduced lazily.

"Roxas," the blond introduced, shaking the owner's hand.

Probably your transmission. If that's all it is, Axel'll have you on the road by tomorrow." Roxas sent Cid a doubtful look. "Oh, don't let his smart mouth fool you. This kid is the best there is." Axel snorted as he headed to the garage.

"You only say that because otherwise you'd actually have to work."

"Hey!" Cid objected, swatting at the red-head as he passed him. Axel is ninety percent sure that the blond's cough is a polite way to cover a laugh. "Hey, you better not be going back to the shop! It's your lunch!"

"I'm not hungry," Axel stated, pulling open the door.

"Then take our customer to the hotel and show him around so he knows where the hell he's going." Cid ordered, dragging Axel away from the shop door and pushing him toward Roxas. "I better not see you in here until tomorrow!" Cid called as he disappeared.

"I've got orders to fill!" Axel shouted.

"I'm on it!" Cid yelled back. Axel sighed in frustration, running a hand through his unruly hair.

Roxas had been keeping an eye on the red-head since he had stepped into Cid's Garage. He had seen how Axel had eyed him before dismissing him, he had heard the red-head's snide comments to the preppy college kid - he had actually wanted to shake Axel's hand; Roxas couldn't stand kids like that - and had felt Axel's stand-offish attitude directed toward him. It had never occurred to the blond that HE would be mistaken for a college prep. But the red-head's animosity had wanted as he realized he was mistaken about the blond and Roxas was interested in figuring Axel out. His musing was interrupted as he felt soft cloth connect with his face.

"What's this?" he asked, blinking down out the cloth.

"Change of clothes. Bad for business if you die of hypothermia. Bathroom's through there," Axel stated as he pointed down the hallway.

"I'm fine, thanks though." Roxas held the clothes back out to the red-head but Axel shoved the clothes back into the smaller man's arms before turning him around and pushing him down the hall.

"You're covered in snow, it's freezing outside and just listening to your teeth chatter is making mine hurt. Now, you can change by yourself or I can help you but either way you're getting out of those sopping wet clothes." Axel stated as he blocked Roxas' way out of the bathroom. Roxas could feel his face flush and he shut the bathroom door quickly before the taller man could see it. The changing of clothes was a bit more difficult as his hands were beginning to shake but he finally managed to get out of his cold clothing. Getting into the dry clothes was easier but Roxas noted with horror that his fingers were too numb to do up the pants.

"Um…Axel?" he called, opening the door slightly. "I can't…" he trailed off as he looked down at the pants, struggling to maintain his dignity. Axel slipped into the bathroom and quickly buttoned and zipped the jeans before picking up the sodden clothes. Roxas tells himself he's grateful Axel was a gentleman about it.

"I'm parked around back," Axel stated as they headed outside. He grabbed Roxas' suitcases from the unlocked Toyota and tossed them into the back of his car before turning it on and cranking the heat for the still shivering blond. "Here," he stated grabbing Roxas' bright red hands and placing them next to the vent. The smaller man hissed and made to jerk his hands away but Axel held them firmly against the hot air. "It's going to hurt like hell but it's this or frostbite." Roxas nodded as he grit his teeth and Axel released his hands and began to drive. "So the hotel is up here on the left, about a block and a half from the garage. All the stores you're going to need are within a block radius of the hotel." Axel informed him as he pulled into the hotel parking lot. The blond nodded but Axel wasn't sure if it was because he was actually listening or if it was because he wanted the red-head to shut up. Axel decided it really didn't matter and focused on hoisting Roxas' bags out of his car. He made quick work of getting the blond a room, dropped his bags inside the door, shoved a card into his hands ("Call me or Cid if you have any questions.") and turned on his heel and left. He felt a slight twinge of guilt at leaving the blond on his own - he could of at least invited him out for dinner - but he squashed it ruthlessly. It wasn't like he was going to see the kid after tomorrow, right?

Despite what Cid said about not returning to the garage until tomorrow, Axel needed to work on cars if he had any hope of getting to Roxas' tomorrow. So he shambled back in and flipped Cid off when the older man asked if Axel already had Roxas in love with him. As he began pulling spare parts off the shelf and worked through the long line of cars, Axel felt his heart sink when he realized that he _would_ get to Roxas' car tomorrow. He tried not to think about it too much.

Across town, Roxas flopped onto his tiny bed in the tiny hotel room and hoped that his car wouldn't be fixed tomorrow, just so he had an excuse to hang around town a bit longer.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, I wanted this up before Easter but I haven't heard from my beta reader. Ergo, any and all mistakes are mine and this is NOT necessarily the final form for this chapter. So...enjoy.

* * *

Axel worked on every single car he could before finally approaching Roxas' Toyota. He crossed his arms, cocked his head to the right and stared at the jeep.

"You can glare at the vehicle all you want but unless you make a move, pretty boy is still gonna be out of here as soon as his car's fixed. Unless you give him a reason to stay," Cid stated as he gave the red-head a wink and a nudge. Axel scowled at him as he moved to pop the hood of the jeep.

"He's a customer, not a sex object," he snapped as he started to work on the car.

"Whatever he is, he's under your skin." Cid remarked and Axel rolled his eyes.

"I just met the kid. Now shut up for a second," he ordered as he began checking the transmission. "Yep, gonna have to order a new one," he muttered.

"So blondie's gonna have to stay in town another night. I'm sure he could use some company." Cid stated, overhearing the statement. He winced as Axel slammed the door to the office.

Axel heaved a sigh as he all but threw himself into the office chair. As annoyed as he was by Cid's comments he wouldn't say that he was - _displeased_ - that the college kid was going to be sticking around a bit longer. What exactly he was going to do about it - if anything - was an entirely different matter. Axel wasn't the type of person who went for long distance relationships and with his all-or-nothing attitude he didn't participate in one-night stands or meaningless summer flings - though he'd certainly had a number of offers. Scrubbing a hand over his face, the red-head turned his mind back to more important matters and ordered the new transmission for the jeep. After a few seconds of thought he picked the phone up again and dialed the number for the hotel. It wouldn't hurt to keep the kid in the loop.

Across town Roxas was slowly going crazy in his hotel room. He had ventured out into the town to buy a change of clothes and had immediately been assaulted by Christmas music and decorations. Everyone had greeted him with a pleasant "Good morning" and had seen him off with a cheery "Happy Holidays!" It had overwhelmed the blond and he had retreated to the sanctuary of his hotel room after purchasing what he needed. Now, however, it was mid-afternoon, there was nothing on the TV and he did not have the requisite funds to be ordering room service. Which meant he'd have to risk another venture outside. He was just contemplating where he wanted to eat - and whether or not he wanted to perhaps stop in at the garage to check on his…car - when the phone rang.

"Hello," he answered cautiously. He had no idea who'd be calling him at the hotel. He'd called his family from his cell.

"Roxas? It's Axel." The mechanic stated.

"You got to my car already?" Roxas questioned. He had seen the amount of cars in the garage and had thought it would be at least another day before the mechanic got to his car. Axel snorted at the blond's tone of voice.

"Don't sound so surprised, blondie. I'm good at what I do." Axel could practically _hear_ Roxas' eye roll.

"Does your ego come with a reality check?" he asked.

"You shouldn't insult the person who's working on your car. _Incidentally_," Axel continued smoothly, effectively cutting off whatever Roxas was going to say. "I'm calling to tell you that your car needs a new transmission. However, being a small town, we only keep parts that we use regularly and that doesn't include a new transmission for your dinosaur. I ordered a new one but the earliest it will be here is tomorrow - luckily it just has to come from the next town." Axel explained. Roxas groaned.

"Wait, if the jeep's so old, how could you get a replacement so quickly?" he asked.

"Hollow Bastion has a junkyard of old cars for those hard-to-come by parts. You got lucky." Axel stated. Roxas made a sound of non-commitment. Neither man was feeling like this was lucky. There was a beat of silence before Axel continued. "So you can either have someone pick you up or -"

"NO!" Roxas interrupted. "I mean, if it's only going to be another day then I can wait. No need to drag someone out here if we'd just have to come out again, right?" he reasoned. It was Axel's turn to make a noise of non-commitment. Before either man could say anything else Roxas heard a door open and Cid's voice shouting in the background.

"Axel! Take your damn lunch! I ain't running a damn sweatshop here!"

"Who are you kidding, Cid? You're not running much of anything here." Axel responded wryly. Roxas couldn't make out Cid's response as he muffled his laughter with a fake coughing fit. By the time he got himself under control Axel was back on the phone. "Look, I got to go but I'll let you know what's going on with your car, okay?"

"Sure. Talk to you tomorrow." Roxas stated before hanging up. Axel certainly was…interesting.

* * *

Roxas hunkered into his corner booth at the café and clutched his coffee like a lifeline. Waiters and waitresses bustled around in a hurry while trying to appear as if they were out for a leisurely stroll. Behind him a toddler was screaming bloody murder but Roxas kept his eyes on the harried waitress who was attempting to wipe up spilled water before it dripped on the guests. The mother was scolding the young boy who was listening with a bored expression on his face. He looked entirely unrepentant and very much like he'd do it again given half the chance. Roxas gave him five minutes. All in all, it reminded him very much of his mother's "small soirees" - with the exception that his mother wasn't here trying to set him up with one of her rich friends' daughters. As if expecting her to materialize out of thin air, he cast a furtive look around but all he saw was his waiter approaching with his food.

"Here you go," Demyx - or so his name tag said - stated as he placed a chicken sandwich with curly fries down in front of Roxas. "Sorry about the wait but this place is a mad house during the holidays." Roxas was sure that Demyx would have continued had a cry not erupted from the little boy's table. "Yuffie! Table seven!" Demyx shouted as he rushed to help contain the spilled water. Roxas glanced at his watch as the frenzied waitress rushed to the table with a dishcloth. Four and half minutes. The kid was good.

"That family stops here every holiday, always sits in Yuffie's section, their kid always spills his drink throughout the meal and they never leave a tip." Axel stated as he slid into the booth across from Roxas.

"That's horrible!" he stated, turning to watch the young woman finish cleaning the water. Axel shrugged.

"I think the father has a bit of a crush on her and the mother knows about it," Axel whispered as Demyx stopped to refill Roxas' coffee.

"Hey Axel! Your usual?" he inquired before bustling off to put in the red-head's order.

"Do you usually come here for lunch?" Roxas asked, taking a bite of his sandwich. He'd noticed that Demyx hadn't even written down Axel's order.

"They've got the best curly fries," he answered, snagging one off of Roxas' plate and popping it into his mouth. The blond glared at the other man but said nothing and Axel smirked at him. "So how are you enjoying our fair town?" he asked as Demyx dropped off his coffee before disappearing again.

"It's definitely…" he trailed off as he chewed a curly fry and tried to find an appropriate word.

"In your face, overly happy-go-lucky, oh-my-god join our cult?" Axel supplied helpfully. Roxas burst out laughing before beginning to choke on his fry. He hacked and spit the remnants into his napkin.

"Geez, Axel, don't go around killing our customers. It's bad for business," Demyx chided as he placed a plate in front of the mechanic. Said man rolled his eyes and flicked a fry at the waiter.

"Go take a break and make out with your boyfriend." Axel ordered. Demyx flushed before sticking out his tongue and heading towards the back employee entrance. Roxas bit back a grin.

"So does your family live around here?" he asked. A dark shadow flickered across the mechanic's face before his nonchalance was back in place.

"Nah, they moved a while ago. We don't really keep in touch," he stated easily. "How about you? Headed home for the holiday?" he asked as he snagged the ketchup. Roxas sighed.

"Yeah. More just to see my brother." At Axel's inquiring gaze he elaborated. "My mother always throws a huge party and tries to set me up with her friends' daughters."

"Ah… and you just want to be left alone?" Axel asked, raising an eyebrow.

"More or less. So I won't be overly upset if my transmission takes longer than expected." He stated, leaning forward conspiratorially.

"Hm, it'd be a shame if your engine fell out." Axel deadpanned. Roxas laughed again and the red-head shot him a small grin before checking his beeping cell phone. "Sorry, got to get back to work," he explained as he stood up. "It was nice talking to you," he stated before shoving his hands into his jacket pockets and walking off before Roxas could answer. The blond watched him leave before turning and finishing his coffee.

"Need anything else?" Demyx asked a few minutes later as he grabbed the empty plates.

"The check?" Roxas inquired.

"Oh, Axel already paid." Roxas blinked. "Have a good night!" Demyx stated before turning to take the dishes to the kitchen. As the waiter's head turned, Roxas was amused to see a hickey not quite covered by his work shirt. Look like Demyx had followed Axel's suggestion after all.

~Review~


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Again, sorry for the delay. I've been editing my stories myself because my poor beta is dealing with midterms, et al. So, I hope you enjoy this next chapter and any and all mistakes are my own.

* * *

Axel groaned as the phone rang loudly next to his ear. He has been putting in overtime to get all the cars taken care of and he had only tumbled into bed a few hours ago. Resisting the urge to chuck his poor cell phone across the room he answered it.

"This is Axel." He listened silently, occasionally making a noise of agreement before hanging up. He dropped the cell phone back onto his bed and rolled over to go back to sleep before bolting up into a sitting position as he recalled the conversation. An accident involving an overturned log truck had shut down the town's only access to the highway. Nothing and no one was getting in or out - including the new transmission for Roxas' Toyota. Axel groaned before flopping himself back onto his bed. _Something_ was conspiring to drive him absolutely bat-shit crazy. He rolled over and attempted to go back to sleep but an annoying voice kept reminding him that he had promised to keep a certain blond up to date on his vehicle and Axel groaned but picked his cell phone back up and began dialing the hotel. Maybe he could get Roxas to meet him for breakfast.

Roxas groaned silently as his mother continued blathering on about her plans for the annual Christmas party. He had merely called to tell her that his car was taking longer than expected but that had been a half hour ago and his mother showed no signs of stopping. At this rate his cell phone would die.

"And I was thinking a Christmas engagement…" his mother was stating. THAT got his attention.

"A Christmas engagement for _who_?" he asked suspiciously. His mother had yet to resign herself to the fact that her first-born son was gay and in a serious, long-term committed relationship and Roxas doubted she had suddenly changed her mind on the subject. She had, several times, tried to set Sora up with another girl - many of those in front of Riku - and had only called a truce when Sora had skipped the annual family Christmas party to celebrate with Riku. It had been a double shock to his mother when her darling baby had skipped as well - staying with Sora and "that seducer of respectable gentlemen". So it was with some trepidation that he had asked his question.

"Why, you and Namine dear. The poor girl was heart-broken that you weren't here last year. Won't she be pleased when you propose? I already picked out the ring, and -"

"Mom. Mom. MOM! I'M NOT PROPOSING TO NAMINE!" Roxas finally shouted. "Mom, look," he continued before she could start arguing. "Namine is a great friend but _just_ a friend. We've just been helping each other out so you'd leave us alone. It kept you off my back and Namine's mother off hers. I'm sorry if you got the wrong idea but I could _never_ marry her."

"Well, you say that _now_ dear, but -"

"No, mom. I could _never_ marry _her_. I'm… I'm gay, too." He stated, squeezing his eyes shut and hoping she took it better than she did with Sora. There was a sharp intake of breath but before anything further could be said, the hotel line began ringing. "I have to get that; it's probably the garage."

"Okay…" There was a pause and Roxas was preparing to hang up when he heard, "I love you." Roxas shut his eyes in relief.

"Love you, too, mom. I'll talk to you later." With a lighter heart Roxas answered the hotel phone. "Hello?"

"Roxas, it's Axel," the red-head stated and Roxas rolled his eyes.

"I figured seeing as no one else I talk to calls me on the hotel line. Don't tell me you got the transmission finished already," he joked. In all seriousness he didn't want to leave, at least not yet.

"Actually…" he hesitated and Roxas paid more attention. Axel cleared his throat. "Look, have you had breakfast yet?"

"No…" Roxas trailed off, unsure where this was going.

"There's a diner two streets over from the hotel called Sunrise Diner. Can you meet me there in twenty minutes?" the mechanic asked. Roxas nodded before realizing that Axel couldn't see him.

"Sure," he stated evenly although it felt like his heart was beating a million miles a minutes. _'It's not a date,'_ he reminded himself as he hung up the phone and got dressed. His heart rate didn't slow down.

* * *

Roxas stood in front of the diner and tried to keep his heart in his chest as Axel approached. It was the first time the college student had seen the mechanic out of his work clothes and he had to admit that he much preferred Axel in everyday clothes. The red-head was wearing a pair of ridiculously well-fitting black jeans with a zip-up hoodie tight across his lean frame. The zipper was pulled up so Roxas couldn't make out the shirt Axel was wearing but he figured it'd be just as tight across Axel's body. Roxas tucked his hands into his own hoodie and silently wished he had made more of an effort than his faded blue jeans and university hoodie but he hadn't wanted to seem like he was trying.

"Hey, sorry I'm late," Axel greeted, subtly checking the smaller man out. "I had to call and let Cid know what had happened."

"It's fine," Roxas stated, shrugging it off. "Aren't you going to see him later?" he asked as he passed through the door Axel was holding open for him.

"No, it's my day off," Axel stated as he nabbed a corner booth. "Besides," he continued, "Cid's not going to have to worry about new customers today." Axel sighed but got down to business. "The main road is shut down for today at least, possibly a few days."

"You're joking," Roxas laughed. At this rate he'd miss all of his mother's parties but Axel misinterpreted the statement and scowled.

"Look, I don't have control over the road crew and the snow we're supposed to get is only going to complicate matters."

"No, no," Roxas laughed shaking his head. "I'm not mad." He calmed down. "I just…" he sighed. "I just had the most awkward conversation with my mother and I'm relieved I won't have to see her today." Understanding dawned on the mechanic's face and he smirked at the blond. A silence fell over the table and Roxas squirmed under Axel's intense stare. The spell was broken when their waitress turned up.

"Hi, guys, I'm Olette and I'll be your server today. Have you decided on what you want?" she asked, pad and pen at the ready.

"Uhm," Roxas stated, picking up his menu. He hadn't even looked at it yet. Axel's smirk widened.

"Two coffees, Olette. I'll have my usual but I think Roxas needs some more time."

"Sure thing!" Olette chirped, scribbling on her pad as she dashed off. Axel kept his eyes trained on the smaller man and Roxas could feel his face reddening under the scrutiny. Finally he gave up trying to read the menu and set it down on the table before folding his hands across it. Axel raised an eyebrow as if to ask, 'Decided?'

"I'll just have whatever you're having," he stated as he tried to ignore his burning face. Olette popped back up and placed coffee in front of each of them.

"Two of the usual," Axel stated before Olette could even ask and the young woman was off like a shot.

"So no one knows for sure how long it's going to take to clean the road?" Roxas asked as he dumped creamer into his coffee. He instantly regretted it, hoping Axel wouldn't take it the wrong way. He needn't have worried.

"So eager to leave?" Axel asked, a teasing edge to his voice.

"No, it's just…" Roxas trailed off. "I can't afford to keep staying at the hotel and I'm not overly eager to use my parents money - especially since I just narrowly avoided being engaged by coming out. So I _really_ don't want to ask for favors." The blond flushed as he realized what he had just admitted. Axel barely avoided spitting his coffee.

"You're mother tried to get you engaged?" he asked incredulously. Roxas blinked. The item of Axel's focus in that entire tirade was not what Roxas thought it would be.

"Uh, yeah. She was all set, had the ring all picked out and everything. Then I was supposed to propose sometime over Christmas." Roxas rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly as Olette put down two stacks of pancakes on the table. Axel didn't seem too perturbed by Roxas inadvertently outing himself, but it left the younger man wondering if the red-head himself was gay or just one of those straight guys who was comfortable being around gays. A moment of silence passed as both men began cutting into their pancakes.

"I have a pull-out couch if you want to leave the hotel." Axel offered before mentally kicking himself. Was he trying to drive himself absolutely insane? His next day off he was going to make an appointment with a shrink.

"Are you serious?" Roxas asked and it took a minute for Axel to process that the blond had asked his question in reference to the mechanic's offer and not his thoughts.

"Yeah," Axel stated evenly, taking another bite of his pancakes. _'What are you doing?'_ his brain screamed. _'You just found out he's gay and you're inviting him into your house? Are you going to invite him into your bed next? SHUT UP!'_ he thought back viciously and turned his attention back to Roxas.

"That would be awesome; as long as you're sure it's not too much trouble." Roxas grinned. Axel swallowed heavily.

"No, it'll be fine," he stated easily. _'What did you get yourself into?'_

~Review~


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hey guys! My poor beta is still bogged down with classes so any mistakes are mine! Hope you enjoy this next installment!

* * *

Axel was seriously glad he always took the time to straighten his apartment. Now, as he led Roxas into the entryway, it looked more like a twenty-something single person's apartment than the hazardous waste zone that most of his single friends' apartments looked like. Setting the blond's suitcase down inside the door, Axel gave a brief tour.

"This is the living room. I'll show you how to pull the bed out tonight. Um, that door right inside the entryway is an empty closet so you can use it for your clothes. Off to the right is the kitchen. The fridge is stocked so help yourself, just…" he sighed, "wash the dishes when you're done."

"Is there a bug problem?" Roxas asked, alarmed and Axel scowled.

"_No_," The red-head shoved his hands into his pockets and led the younger man further into the apartment. Roxas had to bite back a laugh as he looked around and realized why the older man had asked that the dishes be cleaned after use. There wasn't a speck of dust on the furniture and the floor looked as if it had just been vacuumed. The grease-monkey was a neat freak. The blond never would have expected it. "So down this hallway to the right is the bathroom. For whatever reason the light-switch is _outside_ the room, but whatever. And across the hall is my room so just knock if you need anything," Axel stated as he motioned to the closed door. "Any questions?"

Roxas did, in fact, have several questions. _Are you gay?_ Most likely not. _What are the chances of us falling into bed together?_ Slim to none. _What would you do if I kissed you right now?_ He would probably punch me.

"I don't suppose you play video games?" he asked and Axel smirked.

"BACKWARDS! You're going the wrong way; turn around!" Axel shouted, laughing uproariously as he crossed the finish line.

"I _wanted_ to let you win, you jerk!" Roxas declared as he chucked the remote at the older man. "Just you wait! Your ass is mine next time," he declared. He only realized the sexual innuendo when Axel gave him a sly smirk. If this were one of the many romance movies that Naminé shamelessly forced him to watch, Axel would lean in, make some very cheesy remark and kiss Roxas senseless. Instead, Axel stood and stretched, letting his shirt ride up and the blond struggled not to blush at the sight of a toned abdomen and sharp hip bones. Roxas was seriously questioning his sanity - why the hell had he agreed to Axel's offer? Oh yeah, because he couldn't afford the hotel._ Because you were hoping he'd invite you into his bed._ The blond shook his head before realizing that the red-head had been talking to him. "Huh?"

"I said, you need to stand up so I can show you how to pull out the bed," Axel repeated, smirk still on his face. Roxas hastily stood up and watched as the older man removed the couch cushions before lifting the metal bar and pulling out the bed. A linen sheet already covered the mattress and Axel quickly disappeared into the bathroom before reappearing with sheets and pillows. After quickly making the bed, Axel reiterated his statement of knocking if Roxas should require anything and slipped into his bedroom. Roxas fell onto his bed with a groan. He needed sanity.

Roxas jerked awake the next morning to the sound of running water. Taking a moment to figure out where the hell he was - Axel's apartment, NOT the hotel - Roxas kicked the covers off and rolled over onto his back. It had been freezing the night before and now it was sweltering hot. He listened as the shower shut off and the door creaked open and he tried not to openly stare or drool as a damp, half-awake mechanic stumbled through the living room and into the kitchen in nothing but boxer-briefs. _Oh no. Oh __**hell**__ no._ Roxas most definitely decided that he _had_ to move back to the hotel. He didn't care if it required him to _drop out of college_; he could _not_ stay with Axel.

* * *

To say that Axel was distracted would be putting it mildly. He silently cursed the fact that he had already fixed the last of the cars and focused instead on the cleaning and organizing of the garage. If Cid noticed anything odd about Axel's behavior he didn't say anything. In fact, he spent most of the day avoiding the red-head which left the younger mechanic alone with his thoughts.

Axel knew for a fact that the blond college student was gay. Roxas had (inadvertently) told him so himself. But there were problems, namely figuring out whether or not the younger man was interested in him and whether or not Axel was interested in trying a long-distance relationship. There was also the issue of Roxas' mother and what type of impediment she could present to a potential relationship seeing as she was so interested in her son being engaged to someone else. Which presented the new issue of Roxas having only just come out. Axel sighed in frustration before entering his office. He had to get a hold of his contact in Hollow Bastion and see how long the road was going to be closed.

Across town Roxas was sprawled across the pull-out couch. He hadn't bothered putting it away, instead opting to spread his books across the mattress and attempting to review that semesters material. His grades had been good but he had struggled with understanding the poems. Chewing on the end of his pencil, he silently cursed as his cell phone rang.

"Hello?" he asked, not bothering to look at the screen identifier.

"Dude, I can't believe you just came out to mom like that!" Sora shouted. Roxas gave a short laugh.

"She was trying to pressure me into marrying Naminé, what was I supposed to do?" he asked. "She took it better than I expected her to, though I still don't think she's given up on the hope that it's 'just a phase'. I'm sure, given enough time, she'll find some way to blame it on Riku."

"Oh, boy, can't wait," Sora deadpanned. "So when is your car going to be fixed? _Please_ tell me you're going to be home in time for the main party," he begged.

"I wish I could tell you for certain but everything's so up in the air. My car is an easy enough fix but first they had to order the part, then an accident shut down the road and _now_ we're in the middle of a severe weather advisory. At this rate I'll never make it home. Darn," Roxas pretended to sigh in disappointment.

"I will wear snowshoes to come drag you home if I have to," Sora threatened. "And how the hell are you managing to pay for a hotel room?"

"Uh," Roxas stalled, picking lint off the bed-sheet. "Well...don't tell mom, but I'm not. I couldn't afford it so I'm staying with the mechanic who's fixing my car," he stated in a rushed voice before chewing nervously on the end of his pencil. Silence followed and it was driving Roxas crazy. Finally Sora spoke.

"Is he cute?"

"SORA!" Roxas yelled indignantly and his brother laughed.

"I'm taking that as a yes. Is anything, you know, _special_ going on there?" The older boy teased.

"Since when did you become a gossiping teenage girl?" Roxas muttered. "No," he sighed. "I can't get a read on him. But he knows I'm gay." The blond sighed in frustration before flipping over onto his back. "Why did I have to fall for the most impossible person ever?" he whined.

"Family luck. I swear Riku and I were dating for, like, four months before he asked me out." Sora laughed. "Well, I have to go but you hang in there and keep me updated on your car, okay? If something's meant to happen with this guy, it will." The older boy stated.

"Will do. Tell Riku hey for me." Roxas responded, smiling. Hanging up the phone, the blond returned to trying to sort out the hidden meaning of poems.

* * *

Axel scrubbed a hand over his face as he hung up the phone. Sighing in irritation, he slumped down in his seat. That had _not_ been the news he had wanted to receive. The storm front had shifted and hit Hollow Bastion earlier than expected. All deliveries were being postponed until the snow let up and they could plow the roads. No one had any idea how long it would be until the transmission finally found its way to Twilight Town. Which meant a certain blond would be occupying his living room for an unspecified amount of time. Axel groaned and let his head smash against his desk.

"I ain't even going to ask," Cid stated as he leaned against the door-frame. "But there's no cars and I know you don't have any paperwork to catch up on so go on and get out of here. Paid vacation for Christmas. I'll let you know if the transmission comes." Cid stated, effectively cutting off all Axel's arguments. "And Axel," the older man stated. The red-head turned and looked at the older mechanic. "Use your heart while you've still got it. Sometimes feeling ain't such a bad thing. Now get lost until the new year," he stated, shutting the door on the younger man. Deciding that punching the door would do nothing but hurt his hand and create damage that he'd have to pay for, Axel sighed and headed to the diner for lunch. Maybe Zexion would have some sound advice.

The blue-haired man was just punching out when Axel flagged him down. Grabbing a corner booth tucked away from the rest of the regulars, Zexion set his book off to the side and patiently waited for Axel to spit out whatever was on his mind. The silence lasted until Xion brought both men their usual and Axel shoved his plate out of the way and rested his head on the table.

"I think I'm falling in love with him," he confessed, voice muffled. Zexion said nothing – merely added ketchup to his fries and Axel sighed before straightening back up. "And it sucks," he added belatedly. "He's not even from this area and it's not like I'm going to see him again once he leaves. It's highly impractical."

"Love doesn't care about practicability," Zexion stated before taking a bite of his gyro. "There would be no such thing as love if it did," he added after he had chewed and swallowed.

"Who's side are you on?" Axel grumbled, irritably biting into his chicken salad sandwich.

"This isn't about sides. This is about you getting over your fear of having everyone you love abandon you. Give this guy a chance and he might just surprise you." Zexion stated before throwing money down to cover his portion of lunch and leaving. Axel stayed a bit longer as he pondered what his friend and boss had told him.

Across town Roxas was still pondering his poetry. Grunting in frustration, he tore another page out of his notebook before crumbling it up and tossing it to the floor. Try as he might, Roxas was not made to dissect poetry. Literature – yes, poetry – no. It didn't help that his traitorous brain was more interested in dissecting a certain smart-mouthed, red-headed mechanic.

"_What_ the _hell_ have you done to my living room?" Speak of the devil and the devil appears.

"Don't complain about paper when I'm going to fail my class because I can't understand _O Captain! My Captain!_" Roxas snarled before attempting to smother himself with the pillow Axel had lent him.

"'O Captain! My Captain! our fearful trip is done; The ship has weather'd every rock, the prize we sought is won; the port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting, while follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring: But O heart! heart! heart! O the bleeding drops of red, where on the deck my Captain lies, Fallen cold and dead.' It's an extended metaphor poem about the death of Abraham Lincoln, the end of slavery and the Civil War." Axel lectured, pausing when he noted the look he received from the blond. "_What_?" he asked, green eyes narrowing dangerously.

"Nothing," Roxas stated as he shook his head. "You're just full of surprises, that's all." He flushed as Axel's eyes locked onto him – realizing he hadn't bothered to change out of his pajamas. He glanced around the room to avoid the red-head's gaze and realized what had been bugging him all day. "Don't you decorate for Christmas?" The holiday was only a week away but the mechanic didn't have a single decoration out – not even a tree.

"No." Axel stated as he hung up his coat before disappearing into the kitchen to grab a beer. "I don't talk to my family and all my friends are in relationships so I don't really see a point in decorating for myself," he explained as he shoved Roxas over so he could settle on the pull-out bed.

"Why don't you talk to your family?" Roxas asked. The older man shot the blond an incredulous look. "Oh come on! I told you about my mom and her crazy scheme." Roxas argued.

"You really haven't figured it out?" Axel asked, raising an eyebrow. The smaller man shook his head 'no'. "Huh. You have no gaydar whatsoever," he stated before taking another swig of his beer. Roxas blinked as his brain fought to process that information.

"Huh," he stated, tilting his head to the side as he stared at the red-head. "Never would have guessed."

"I'm a master actor," Axel deadpanned and the blond snorted.

"Well, I don't know about that but you definitely have the ego," Roxas quipped.

"Hey!" Axel protested, smacking the blond with one of the pillows. The smaller man glared – his normally messy curls even more disheveled. The red-head snickered but it was cut off as the smaller man launched himself at the older man. The two wrestled, rolling back and forth across the pull-out bed before Axel finally pinned the other man. Roxas could never remember exactly what came over him at that time but as Axel fought to control his breath, the blond surged upwards and kissed him. Axel stared down at him, his green eyes wide in shock and Roxas could feel his face heat in embarrassment.

"I'm...so...so-"

"Roxas," Axel cut him off. "Shut up," he finished before flopping back on the pull-out bed.

~Review~


	5. Chapter 5

Awkward silence filled the apartment but Roxas considered it a success that they were both still sprawled across the pull-out couch. The ticking of the clock sounded unnaturally loud to the blond and he bent his mind to figuring out why that was just so he could avoid looking at the red-head. Axel, however, had other ideas.

"Why'd you do that?" he asked. Roxas gave a wry laugh.

"I have no idea. Because I like you, you impossible git. For some unfathomable reason." Roxas scowled, tucking his knees into his chest and crossing his arms across the top of them.

"I like you, too. Even if you do make a mess of my apartment," Axel confessed, leaning back on his hands and tilting his head back to stare at his ceiling.

"It's _papers_," Roxas stated.

"Seriously, I was only gone for like, two hours," Axel retorted. Roxas rolled his eyes and shoved the red-head before sighing.

"So, where does that leave us?" he asked and Axel turned serious. A long, unnerving silence fell as both men were lost in their thoughts.

"I can't do casual," Axel stated. "And can you really see us working? I mean, my life's here and if your car hadn't broken down, we'd never even have met."

"We could try," Roxas stated. "I mean, my college isn't that far from the town and instead of hiding out in my dorm over the breaks I could visit," he trailed off with a shrug. "So," he began after a moment's silence, "we going to give this thing the old college try?" Axel snorted at the blond's attempt at humor.

"Sure. I never dated a college kid before." Roxas narrowed his eyes before smacking the mechanic upside the head with one of the pillows. Axel's green eyes narrowed. "Careful there, blondie, that shit's what got you in trouble to begin with." Roxas feigned an innocent look before walloping the older man with the pillow once again. "That's it! You're done for!" Axel cried, diving at the smaller man. Roxas let out a very undignified yelp (which he would later deny making) and dodged, not quite making an escape. And any residual awkwardness from their semi-serious conversation dissolved with laughter and feathers.

"Okay," Roxas panted from his sprawled position on the floor. "You seriously need to get some Christmas decorations," he stated as he let his gaze rove across the portion of the apartment he could see.

"Mmf," came Axel's muffled reply. He was sprawled across the pull-out couch, head buried in the covers, one hand hanging off the edge of the bed – still listlessly clutching a pillow.

"I'm serious. I demand it," Roxas told him, though there was no real heat in his voice. Axel groaned regardless.

"Barely dating and he's trying to change me," he lamented.

"Shut up," Roxas told him amiably. "And don't tell me there's no place to get Christmas stuff either. This place is like Whoville." Axel snorted but didn't raise his head. Roxas sighed and heaved his exhausted body off the floor. Axel packed a mean wallop – even when fighting with a pillow. The blond silently hoped he never had to see the mechanic fight for real. He was willing to bet it was beautifully destructive. Shaking his head free from the thought, Roxas turned his attention to the lithe red-head sprawled across his borrowed bed. "C'mon," he cajoled, dropping next to the older man. "I want you to have a happy Christmas. That requires actually _acknowledging_ the holiday."

"Maybe I'm Jewish," Axel stated, turning his head to speak.

"Maybe you're full of shit," Roxas countered and flushed happily when the other man busted out laughing.

"Alright, tomorrow," Axel agreed as he settled onto his back and dozed off, Roxas following shortly after.

* * *

"What about this?" Roxas asked, picking up a tiny reindeer.

"No glitter," Axel stated, looking sideways at an automated singing Santa. The thing was creepy as fuck. Roxas sighed but set the reindeer down. They'd been in the store for a half-hour and there was nothing in their basket.

"What do you have against glitter?" the blond demanded.

"Aside from the fact that it gets on _everything_? It's the herpes of arts and crafts supplies," the mechanic stated and Roxas had to fight back a grin. He supposed it was only natural for a neat freak to hate glitter, and so moved away from the reindeer and towards the nutcrackers.

A group of six or so sat clustered together on a shelf. The blond eyed the eclectic mix of dark green and electric blue and sighed heavily. He was about to turn away disheartened when a flash of red caught his eye. Shoving the other nutcrackers out of the way, Roxas stood on his tip-toes and used the edges of his fingers to slowly shift the hidden nutcracker towards him. He nearly had it when a long arm shot around him and grabbed it. Roxas gave a startled yell and stumbled back against a firm chest.

"Give _warning_ next time, asshole." Roxas turned and glared. "Fucking gave me a heart attack."

"Your heart is in perfect working condition," the mechanic informed him, eying the nutcracker before gently settling it into their basket. The blond had to squash down his pleasure at finding their first Christmas decoration. _Finally_.

By the end of their shopping trip they don't have much but it's better than before and Roxas is calculating how successful he'll be at convincing the mechanic to get a tree. The numbers are abysmal and the blond scraps the plan, choosing instead to focus on setting up the decorations while Axel fixes lunch. He gets everything set except for the Star of Bethlehem when he runs into a snag. Even _with_ a chair, he's too short to reach the nail.

"Uh, Axel? I have a favor before you get settled…"

"Oh, you mean like I did five minutes ago when I sat down to eat?" Axel asked drily but Roxas could hear the chair scrape as Axel pushed away from the table and entered the living room. "Issue, shortie?" he asked, bemused. Roxas stood on a chair with his arm outstretched though he was still a good two inches from the nail. The blond glared over his shoulder.

"Shut up and hang this," he ordered before clambering off the chair and handing the star to the red-head. Axel took the decoration with his usual aplomb and quickly hung the star as Roxas turned to dig his ringing cell-phone out of his pocket. "Hello?"

"Roxas, the party is in _two days. Ple__ase_ tell me you're on your way home."

"Sora," Roxas groaned. In his excitement to give Axel a fun Christmas he'd completely forgotten about his mother's party. "Funny story about that actually… Still don't have the part."

"You're kidding me!" Sora bellowed and Roxas instinctively jerked the phone away from his ear. "Rox, you _can't_ leave me by myself with mom!"

"I can drop you off," Axel offered as he climbed off the chair."

"Yes! Yes! Have him drive you! Thanks mystery person!" Sora shouted through the phone and Roxas sighed as he put his phone on speaker mode.

"Axel, I'm not leaving you alone over Christmas," Roxas argued.

"You say it like it would be something new for me," Axel stated drily.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Sora shouted. "He usually spends Christmas alone?" Axel sighed as Roxas gave an emphatic 'yes'. "Okay, he's spending Christmas with us." Sora announced, as if this settled everything. Which, in Sora's world, it did.

"And I think it's a bad idea," Axel argued. "You really think your mother's going to be happy to see _me_ when she made it abundantly clear that she wants you to marry your friend?"

"Wait, wait, wait! You guys are together?" Sora asked. Axel sighed again and Roxas laughed at how absurd the situation was.

"Yes," the blond confirmed. "We'll be there, Sora. _Both_ of us," he assured, shooting Axel a look. After a brief exchange of goodbyes Roxas hung up and the two men stood glaring at each other. "I'm not leaving you by yourself," Roxas stated, finally breaking the silence.

"So you think it's better to drag me to your homophobic mother's house?" Axel snapped. "I had enough of that from my own family growing up, Roxas." He turned away from the smaller man and re-entered the kitchen. His half-eaten lunch was still on the table but the sight of it made him nauseated and he dumped it before washing the plate. He should have known things were going too well between them but the thought didn't make it hurt any less. He turned, dishcloth in hand, to wipe down the table only to pull up short at the sight of Roxas standing in the doorway.

"Come with me?" Roxas asked softly. "Meet Sora and Riku and the moment my mother says anything _remotely_ derogatory to you, we'll leave," he promised. Axel sighed as he ran a hand through his hair in agitation. "Please?" Roxas asked.

"Alright," he agreed before huffing out a laugh. "Besides, I think your brother would come after me if I tried to ditch."

"He would," Roxas assured him. Axel snorted and rolled his eyes.

"Well…I guess we better pack."

~Review~


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